Mr. Chairman,

At the outset, I would like to congratulate you on your election as the chairman of the Third Committee. I am confident that, under your outstanding leadership and with the joint efforts of all countries, the work of the Third Committee will be a success. The Chinese delegation would also like to congratulate other members of the bureau on their elections.

Mr. Chairman,

The Chinese delegation subscribes to the statement by the representative of Jamaica on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. The UN Secretary-General's report (A/60/80) submitted to this session of the General Assembly has fully reflected the deliberations at the high level segment of the forty-third session of the Commission for Social Development. It has provided a comprehensive analysis of current issues in the fields of social development and summarized the discussions at the session on economic and social policy, elimination of poverty, employment, social protection and social integration. We express our appreciation in this regard.

Mr. Chairman,

Fundamentally speaking, social development means the common development of mankind. The coordinated and balanced social development not only has a direct bearing on the prosperity of a country but also constitutes an important foundation for the preservation of international peace and security. The achievement of the goals set by the Millennium Summit in areas such as elimination of poverty and promotion of economic and social development requires broad cooperation at the global level. The outcome document of this year's World Summit also attaches great importance to the question of development. We support the United Nations in playing a greater role in this respect.

Ten years ago, the adoption of the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action laid down an important foundation for the cooperation of the international community in the field of social development. Over the decade, the international community has made unremitting efforts and the status of social development has been noticeably enhanced in the development strategies of various countries. Encouraging progress has been made in the elimination of poverty, expansion of employment and promotion of social integration at the national and international levels. However, we must acknowledge that we are still far away from the MDGs established by the Millennium Summit. Diseases, poverty and unemployment still hinder the development of many developing countries. In order to promote social development in various countries and achieve the MDGs, it is necessary for the international community to create a peaceful and stable international and domestic environment and establish an international economic order which is favorable to a balanced development of the world. The developed countries should do more to fulfill their obligation of assisting the developing countries, honor their commitments, reduce and eliminate debt, expedite the transfer of technology and abandon trade protectionism.

Now I would like to make a few specific comments on issues in the fields of social development. Increased attention to vulnerable groups is an important achievement of the UN in the social field. The Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing agreed upon at the Second World Assembly on Ageing in 2002 designed a new blueprint for the international community to deal with the situation of older persons and the question of ageing. We hope the international community will make joint efforts to ensure the effective implementation of the follow-up activities in order to achieve eventually the noble objective of social development for all

The work of the Ad Hoc Committee on a Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities has made important progress and has attracted the universal attention of governments and NGOs. The Chinese government believes that the formulation of this convention will certainly provide more effective legal guarantee for the rights and interests of persons with disabilities. We hope all parties will continue the cooperation and push for the early conclusion of the negotiations at the Ad Hoc Committee.

The question of family is not merely a matter concerning individual families. It also has a bearing on the social cohesion and stability of a country. Governments and the international community should take measures to raise awareness of the question of family throughout the world, incorporate the question of family into the policies and programmes of social development and create a stable, harmonious and caring environment so as to safeguard the interests of both the family as a whole and individual members of the family and, by focusing on the family as the basic cell of the society, promote the integrated, just and balanced development of the society.

Mr. Chairman,

With a population of 1.3 billion, it is crucially important for China to take a development path that is suitable to its specific situation in order to realize modernization. The focus of the work of my government in the field of social development is poverty eradication, adequate employment and the establishment of a social security system that is suitable to China. China pursues a coordinated economic and social development and insists on people-centered approach and establishing a scientific development view which is comprehensive, coordinated and sustainable. As a result, great progress has been made in poverty reduction, promotion of employment, establishment and improvement of the system of social protection and the building of a harmonious society. In the future, together all countries in the world, China will continue to work hard for the implementation of the outcome document of the 2005 World Summit and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.